Verizon giving millions of U.S. phone records to feds (Page 3)

Who is "they" and why would they want to do that?

Just FYI - I don't buy guns from a web site, never would.  I don't post on CL, never would.  I don't use facebook, twitter, instagram, etc.  My wife does, I think she's crazy.  So you see, I've got a bit of your same paranoia....but it's not the govt. I fear.  I worry about criminals getting their hands on my information, or reading that we are out of town, or any number of things about my family that may be posted.  I try to be careful about things I post, but I do put some information out there on sites such as this.....because, again, this site is not that important to anyone as far as mining information.

Your privacy is your responsibilty......you can't blame anyone else for information of yours that is floating around or being compiled by someone. (BTW - there are companies who's sole purpose is to build a file on you......the govt. looks like a bunch of imbeciles compared to what those companies have)

I don't want a national gun registry because the law doesn't provide for it and it would do nothing to stop the problem of people doing stupid things with guns.  However, that is not the case with using the already established databases to thwart terrorism.  I'm for catching bad guys, not harrassing good guys.  I've got to say, I don't see any good guys being harrassed here.  I see some good guys worried about being harrassed....but that's a different deal.  Show me where your rights have been violated in this deal.  Confiscating my guns (if I have any   ) would be violating my rights.

The funny thing is... EVERYTHING has a user agreement these days, and everyone consents to this type of stuff without ever reading it. Personal information has always been mined for information and sold to other companies to sell to you... and you agree to that.

I'm not saying I approve of the government doing it... but what I am saying is the American citizen does not have a clue what they agree to or authorize on a daily basis just from user agreements that they don't bother to read... myself included. I've been burned a couple of times because a lot of companies authorize auto renewal in their agreement and I get billed without my knowledge for it again because I "agreed" to it. I at least learned where that check box is buried.

The ACLU has sued over this... all the way to the Supreme Court, but they lost because they could not prove their records were part of the information... and the government refused to tell them if their information was a part of it because it was "classified information".

There is something very wrong with that.

Not to interrupt the bromance going on here, but this happens every day as-is.
Ever see a Google Ad for something you clicked on/shopped for recently or the tailored Facebook ads? They "recorded" information such as your click/shopping/browsing habits or what you post on your timeline/profile/location and are using it to advertise to you. It's nothing new.

If you don't want something public, you shouldn't post it anywhere online.
 

Maybe.

There are national security issues....or at the very least there is the possibility of national security issues. 

Overall, I'm pretty happy with what our govt. agencies have done since 9/11 to help keep the country free of more terrorism.  I'm not naive enough to think it will never happen again, but there is no doubt that terror operations have been stopped because of the efforts of some of these govt. agencies.....that's a good thing.

Just so we're clear. They have and are listening/watching videos/chats/etc on everything. So what your statement suggests Lisa is that if we don't want the NSA to hear everything we say or do on electronic media, we should do it face to face only.

This issue of electronic privacy will be around for a long time to come. I do understand there are problems,and if the government deals with them, that is one thing. But over 200 years self government has also shown the government rarely stops at what it was doing in the first place. they cross lines many times.

If you have the right of regress against your government, and the government has the right to refuse you, then you no longer have the right of regress. That isn't right. And then for the Judicial branch to back that up... that isn't right either. The suit I understand... in order to sue someone, you have to be able to show you were harmed... and they can't do that without the one that they allege is harming them tells them so... but it also just does not sit right.

The difference is Google does not have the power to take away your rights and property and deny your freedom... the Government does. That's the point. Retail is one thing, the government is another.... the Constitution was not written to limit commercial powers, or guarantee consumer rights.

I am crying laughing--FTW!

Surely you do not think Verizon is the only carrier doing this?

I think the issue is that on the heels of the IRS targeting a particular group possibly with direction from the white house, we now see the problem with giving a government entity power to do something unconstitutional with this information that they are gathering.

I say this as my Pandora does a commercial about military loans for graduate school programs showing that they mined my preferences. But I trust that they still can't read my text messages to my wife.

Oh jeez I read this whole thread and didn't know it was about THIS. My bad.
But I still think if it's that sensitive of an issue to you or you are that paranoid, don't post it online?  

They aren't watching or listening to any private conversations/texts without a search warrant....that's just a load of crap.  

And no, you don't understand my position at all.  Using a 3rd party system to have a conversation has NEVER been part of anything I brought up....how did you even come up with that?  What I said, and Hook 'em confirmed with case law, is that information you give to a 3rd party is not protected..

Geez...pass the tinfoil!!!

There were guys, that's all they did all day, was take care of Paulie's calls.

Unfortunately, the Boss rarely gets pinched because of his stupid acts.  Most of the time it is the stupid acts of those under him.

What about my voicemails?  Those recordings belong to the provider as well so can they give those to whoever they wish?  If not, how are they different than phone numbers?  Data is data and I've given it to the carrier in both instances.

I honestly don't know the answer, so I'm half being snarky and half curious. 

Tony - #1 I don't know of a provider that stores recordings of voice messages....and I've written search warrants or court orders for every provider that I know of.  #2 Most providers don't store text messages anymore either.  Some did for awhile, but we hammered them with search warrants for the texts and they quickly figured out it was not in their best interest to store them because of the cost of complying with the warrants....since they were under no obligation to store them, they quit.

Your biggest concern as far as search warrants, court orders, etc. for your text messages, voice mails, etc. is the very phone you carry around and do all of your conversing with....it's a computer....our forensic guys can get most of them out of your phone if we deem it necessary and can get a warrant for it....and in many cases, we don't need a warrant and can search it incident to arrest.

You all worry so much about the govt. and all the while you are your own worst enemies for your paranoia. And yeah, I'm being half snarky and half serious as well with the last comment.....you just have to figure out which half. Time to get the hat out!  

Like Hook 'em said, what WILL come out of all of this is supreme court decisions about all of the new technology once all of the lawsuits find their way.  We are working, for the most part, under laws and decisions that were made even before the internet was hatched by Al Gore.....it'll be interesting.

(I already know your name is Tony and you are from Nebraska..........it's only a matter of time before I'm breaking your door down, eh?)